Thousands of Russians and Ukrainians stranded in Thailand, including Phuket

[mikebell]

12 hours ago, billd766 said:

But go home to what?

The trenches.

[Cake Monster]

Stranded ! or being provided a shelter in exchange for spending ?

[kinyara]

1 hour ago, JBChiangRai said:

I really wish posts would not mention Russians and Ukrainians in the same sentence as if they are the same.

 

Further, if numbers are being quoted, I prefer to see separate numbers for R’s and U’s, it’s impossible to get a real picture without it, we’re just getting propaganda.

Official arrival figures for January and February 2023 :

 

Russia - 202,759 & 186,103

Ukraine - 4,652 & 3,881

 

As someone mentioned previously difficult to gauge the scale of the " permanent " issue without the monthly departure numbers, and also those figures and ongoing arrival/departure numbers will include an amount of the same people, anybody's guess how significant.

 

 

 

[NThai]

In reality, Ukrainian males cannot leave the country now (18-60 years old should stay in the country, that's a military law).

Situation with Russians is a bit different. Russian males can leave the country, but that's a pure lottery because some of them (if they've been in the army - and it's a necessity for every male in Russia in most of the cases and what's worse - have some military-around profession or can just be useful to the army) will be turned back on the Russian border.

 

And even if Russian men not trying to get out of the country - it's still a lottery with a second wave of mobilization because army officers not looking if you have, say, 3 kids, by a law, you shouldn't be mobilized. No one cares and Russian men are being sent to Ukraine while their families are trying to get to the court with the claims, which is usually, surprise-surprise not getting anywhere.

[spidermike007]

Most are likely Russians, and not Ukrainians. Therefore, they likely would not qualify for refugee status, no matter where they were. When your leader is a serial killing madman despot, who seems to enjoy targeting woman and children, sympathy tends to be in limited supply. You were simply born in the wrong country. 

[VinnieK]

43 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Oh I don't know. I hear many have gone to Indonesia, mainly Bali, and there has been some backlash there. 

I was alluding to Europe (if they can make it)..or Latin America.

Good luck queueing up for visas here for eternity...

Asia is hostile to migrants, immigrants, refugees and all the rest of it 

..and that includes 'us' btw 

[JBChiangRai]

17 minutes ago, kinyara said:

Official arrival figures for January and February 2023 :

 

Russia - 202,759 & 186,103

Ukraine - 4,652 & 3,881

 

As someone mentioned previously difficult to gauge the scale of the " permanent " issue without the monthly departure numbers, and also those figures and ongoing arrival/departure numbers will include an amount of the same people, anybody's guess how significant.

 

 

 

So let's be accurate, we're talking about Russians, the number of Ukrainians is statistically insignificant (circa 2% compared to Russians)

[Tropposurfer]

14 hours ago, JoseThailand said:

For the Ukrainians, there is no home

yes it is sad and infuriating at the same time to me

[LivingNThailand]

13 hours ago, JoseThailand said:

So most of them can stay in Thailand indefinitely without any issues.

How?  What kind of visa.  I was at Phuket immigration 2 weeks ago and they were begging for 7 day extensions.

[JoseThailand]

5 minutes ago, LivingNThailand said:

How?  What kind of visa.  I was at Phuket immigration 2 weeks ago and they were begging for 7 day extensions.

Have you heard of border hops? Lots of vans are running between Phuket and the Malaysian border every day. Pay a 1500 baht bribe at the border and stay indefinitely.

[jacko45k]

9 minutes ago, LivingNThailand said:

How?  What kind of visa.  I was at Phuket immigration 2 weeks ago and they were begging for 7 day extensions.

I thought they were automatic if another  extension request is refused. 

(And limited to a single one).

 

[JimTripper]

4 hours ago, Straight8 said:

The overstays is going to go through the roof

Or they just move on into Cambodia (Sihanoukville).

[John Drake]

Also in the OP: 

Quote

Local Russian businesses in Phuket were initially busy with the influx of Russians, but as money access worsened, their shops and restaurants lost clientele as they were unable to pay. Some are offering payments through transfers within their home country, from one Russian bank account to another.

If this is true, it's worse than the Chinese Zero Dollar Tours. Thais are getting nothing from Russians being here.

[connda]

14 hours ago, anterian said:

I thought a major problem is the inability to transfer funds as Swift, Visa, Mastercard etc are all blocked by sanctions. 

UnionPay

[LivingNThailand]

22 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

32 minutes ago, LivingNThailand said:

How?  What kind of visa.  I was at Phuket immigration 2 weeks ago and they were begging for 7 day extensions.

I thought they were automatic if another  extension request is refused. 

(And limited to a single one).

 

I don't know the rules, but from what I saw they have to apply for a 7 day extension.  Some of them were coming back and asking for another 7 day extension and they were told they had to leave.  These guys thought they only had to go immigration every 7 days to extend.   So I think it is (right now) 45 days + 7 and then leave.  Of course some are buying business and education visas, but the vast majority can't get away with that......I think ????

[sambum]

14 hours ago, proton said:

Nonsense

I would not be surprised if quite a few of them were homeless due to the invasion - bombs and shells don't just kill people!

[LivingNThailand]

31 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

Have you heard of border hops? Lots of vans are running between Phuket and the Malaysian border every day. Pay a 1500 baht bribe at the border and stay indefinitely.

Yeah, but personally I don't think they can get away with it indefinitely.  Maybe 3 or 4 times.   Phuket immigration is really amped up right now.  Just my personal feeling that is.

[proton]

1 minute ago, sambum said:

I would not be surprised if quite a few of them were homeless due to the invasion - bombs and shells don't just kill people!

No Russians have had their homes destroyed and being homeless does not prevent people from going back

[JoseThailand]

5 minutes ago, LivingNThailand said:

Yeah, but personally I don't think they can get away with it indefinitely.  Maybe 3 or 4 times.   Phuket immigration is really amped up right now.  Just my personal feeling that is.

That's why there is a bribe. You think immigration crooks wanna lose this income stream?

[sambum]

3 minutes ago, proton said:

No Russians have had their homes destroyed and being homeless does not prevent people from going back

Correct in what you say, but would you want to go back to try to make a new home in a war torn country, or to be forced to fight in a war that you disagree with?

[brianthainess]

14 hours ago, proton said:

15 hours ago, JoseThailand said:

For the Ukrainians, there is no home

Nonsense

Nonsense? To most, home, means 'a home' i.e. House or Apartment. a frigging SAFE roof over your head .

[ikke1959]

stranded???? I think a better word is refusing.....They all can go home, no problem, but hey don't want..

[kinyara]

11 minutes ago, LivingNThailand said:

Yeah, but personally I don't think they can get away with it indefinitely.  Maybe 3 or 4 times.   Phuket immigration is really amped up right now.  Just my personal feeling that is.

That's what I would have thought, technically they are only allowed 2 land border entries per year I think. I suspect any flexibility, if it is actually happening in pratice, will only last as long as they behave themselves. If/when negative criminal stories start to hit the headlines it may be a different matter.

[brianthainess]

3 hours ago, Wildliferescue said:

The Ukrainian people have often nothing to come home to, the Russians are just draft dodgers and cowards that should be send back. 

Why send them back? do you want them to kill, rape and loot even more Ukrainians ??

[Freddy42OZ]

14 hours ago, anterian said:

I thought a major problem is the inability to transfer funds as Swift, Visa, Mastercard etc are all blocked by sanctions. 

Crypto is easy to use.

[Will B Good]

Give the Ukrainians LTVs and deport the Russians. 

[Scott]

Troll post and replies reported and removed.

 

[Freddy42OZ]

Some of you should watch this channel to see how real Russians feel about Putin and the war. 

https://www.youtube.com/@1420channel/videos

[geisha]

15 hours ago, swissie said:

Russians not welcome in Europe.

 

 Ukranians can receive "wellfare-benefits" in Europe. Russians in Thailand have to "self-finance" themselves. For how long can they "self-finance" themselves? Once their financial reserves are exhausted, how are they going to support temselves in Thailand?

 

a) falling back on the non existent "Thai Social Security Network" or b) engage in criminal activities as the only remaining option? Likely.

There are enough Russians in Thailand to teach newcomers how to survive if necessary. They stick together. 

[sambum]

2 hours ago, carumego said:

They are not stranded , they are deserters

I presume you are referring to Russians - not Ukrainians? To be a deserter you have to have been conscripted in the first place - so I agree with previous posters who call them draft dodgers.

I  also agree with a previous poster who described the Russians' behaviour here pre Covid quite succinctly - the current situation has changed their attitudes and behaviour quite a lot, but  in case you think that I am only quoting "previous posters" because I have nothing of my own to say, my opinion is that once they have been entrenched here for a while, I suspect that they will revert back to form.

I still cannot forget the video of the Russian "lady" who physically attacked the Thai who was asking her to pay 50 baht "entry fee" to take photos of a tourist attraction. As it turned out, they were both in the wrong, but it was the Russian who came out of it looking like a "troublemaker"! (For lack of an expression that I can not use on here!)